


they meet in a bar (because where else would it be)

by stellastellaforstar



Category: The Fall (TV 2013), The X-Files
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-03-20 22:58:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13727787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellastellaforstar/pseuds/stellastellaforstar
Summary: title says it all.... kinda





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well here is something no one asked for. I should probably be doing homework or writing the other fic I haven't finished, but I had this in my head. 
> 
> Let me know what you think. stellastellaforstar.tumblr.com

She walks in with such a huff that it would’ve been impossible not to notice her. The small woman practically slams onto a bar stool a few down from Stella, and Stella immediately grabs the attention of the bartender before he can get to her. She speaks to him in almost a whisper, even though the other woman is nowhere near them to hear. 

Suddenly, a whiskey neat appears in front of Scully and she looks up at the bartender in confusion. Before she has a chance to ask why he brought her this, he nods his head over to the woman sitting at the end of bar. The blonde woman simply raises up her glass of whiskey and Scully can’t help but raise hers as well. She takes a sip and winces a little. God, she can’t remember ever drinking whiskey but it does really feel like what she needs right now. How did this woman know? Scully can feel the other woman glancing at her but doesn’t give in to glancing back. Even from just their small toast, Scully knows this woman is a complicated being. Scully hadn’t come in here to make friends but she felt a conversation with her was unavoidable now. Maybe talking it out wouldn’t be so bad, god knows she doesn’t talk about how she’s really feeling...ever. Scully is dragged out of her thoughts when she suddenly feels the other woman’s presence. 

“Are you waiting for someone?” the blonde asks as she sits down on the closest barstool.

Scully decides to ignore the question, knowing it might as well have been rhetorical. “Why did you buy me a drink?” she asks; The alcohol seems to have already made her more direct. 

“You looked like you needed it. And you don’t seem like the type to indulge in more than a glass of wine for yourself, even though you may need something stronger.” 

Scully started to huff out a laugh, almost disturbed at how accurate the woman was is. “What are you, a detective?” 

“Yes, a detective superintendent actually. Stella,” She reaches her hand out to the small woman almost drowned by her larger coat. Stella begins to wonder what she would look like underneath, but figures now is not to time to think of such things.

“Um, Dana.” She says as she grabs the other woman’s hand. Her hands are both soft and firm all at once and Scully can tell Stella is a lot of things all at once. “Do you work at the Met?”

“I do, but I often tend to be shipped off to other places; and what do you do Dana?” 

“I’m a Special Agent with the FBI. What brings you to the states? Have you been shipped off here as well?”

“So that explains all the questions. Well, if you must know, I’m actually in the states for a vacation of sorts.” 

“Has it been interesting?”

“Not until recently.” Stella lets the answer hang in the air as she takes a sip from her now nearly empty glass. This woman has turned out to be entirely too interesting to simply invite up to her hotel room; she wants to know more, she wants to know everything. “So tell me, Dana, what has brought you to this bar, led you to accept a drink from a stranger? You don’t seem the type.”

Scully scoffs, “Are you profiling me?” Stella simply shakes her head. “Good, I work with enough profilers.”

“Ah, so it’s work then that’s bothering you?” 

Scully eyes the woman next to her. She never thinks of herself as such an open book but this woman can apparently see right through her. Scully has a fleeting thought of whether or not to trust her, recalling another recent interaction with a beautiful, British woman. Wait, did she just think of her as beautiful? Scully knows that Stella is flirting with her, but she isn’t prepared to actually reciprocate. The whiskey must be affecting her more than she thinks, because she apparently decides to be completely honest with this woman.

“Yes it is. I work on, um, ‘unusual’ cases at the FBI, and my partner is a bit infuriating.” 

“And what is so infuriating about this partner of yours?”

“Well, he’s very passionate and we don’t always agree, which is fine… but sometimes he goes running off on his own and putting himself in danger. He follows leads without telling me anything and has ended up in the hospital on more than one occasion because of this.” Scully realizes that all she’s doing is ranting now, but it feels good to finally talk to someone about it.

“So, your partner, are you sleeping with him?”

Scully begins to choke on air, flustered. “What? No, he’s just my partner. Do you sleep with your partners?” The alcohol has definitely loosened her tongue. 

Stella eyes her for a moment before her response, “I don’t have any partners.”

Scully is left to decide what exactly she means by that or how many layers the statement actually has. By this point, the bartender has brought both of them another drink and they both accept without so much as making eye contact with the man.

Scully wants to finally break the silence and turn the tables on her new friend Stella. Yet, she can’t quite think of what to say. Asking about her trip or work seems as mundane as asking about the weather. Stella was an intriguing person, to say the least, and Scully couldn’t deny her body’s reaction to her.. 

While she was so focused on thinking of what to say to break the silence, Stella actually does: “So, why do you think your partner does this?” 

All Scully gives her is a confused face, already having forgotten what they were talking about previously. Stella elaborates, “Why do you think he follows these leads without you?” Stella could’ve been in her hotel room with anyone else in this bar by now, but she finds that, for some reason, she actually wants to know. 

“You know what? It’s fine, I should probably just forget about it.”

On the other hand, “Would you like some help?”


	2. Chapter 2

She said yes, but she couldn’t say exactly why she did. Scully can blame it on the whiskey all she wants but she knows it’s because of the woman she’s with. The night was a blur of soft lips and firm hands, limbs tangled in the sheets. And after all of it, Scully laid her head against Stella’s breast as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Stella didn’t seem to mind. 

“Why did you choose DC for your vacation?” she finds herself asking while unconsciously cuddling closer.

“Because I heard there were adorable red headed federal agents.” Scully giggles. “No, I actually had a conference last week but decided to stay longer. I like it here, there’s history but it’s not as old and imposing as London. I find myself coming here quite a lot actually. This place helps me think.”

“Do you know if you’ll be back soon?”

“I’ll be sure to let you know if I do. Now go to sleep.” It sounded like a brush off, but they both knew she was telling the truth. They were each different for the other person. Outside of their respective norms but for different reasons. Scully would never sleep with someone she just met and Stella would never cuddle. 

So, Stella called, a few times actually. It always went the same: She would call to say she was coming into town. They would meet in the hotel bar, have a nice conversation, and then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, they would go upstairs. The conversation usually opened up a lot more when their clothes were scattered all over the floor. 

Sometimes they would talk about their cases, but Scully always had the funnier stories. Sometimes they would talk about life outside of work, and of course Stella’s stories were always more interesting just for the fact she had a story at all. But finally they would get to the point in the night where they started to tell each other things they wouldn’t talk about with anyone else. Scully told Stella about her dreams after her abduction, and Stella told Dana hers.

Stella found herself finding excuses to come to DC and call Dana. Stella once joked that they were ‘pen pals with benefits.’

Then one day, Stella had called and Dana didn’t sound the same. When they met, she didn’t look the same either. She looked, paler, smaller than she already was. Stella had been around Dana long enough to know not to ask, that the truth would come out eventually. So the night was the usual night, until it wasn’t.

Stella is looking down at Dana, still as beautiful as always. Her red hair shining, her red lips...and something else red Stella has never seen on Dana’s face before. She stops what she’s doing and carefully moves her hand to cup Dana’s face. By the time Stella swipes her thumb underneath her nose, Dana has already escaped to the bathroom. But she has left the evidence of her blood on Stella’s hand.

“I’m sick,” is all she says. 

Stella knows what they are to each other. It means more than they will ever say, but right now she knows Dana doesn’t need someone doting on her and asking her questions. Stella is sure there is family, and doctors, and Mulder for that. So, she says what she needs to say: “Would you like some help forgetting?”

It’s over a year before they see each other again. Scully is better, miraculously. Stella is the same. When they meet, Scully regales her with stories of Antarctica and office work, tells her someone else is working in ‘their’ department. The whiskey has loosened her tongue, and she tells her about Diana. Stella just listens, asks questions when she wants. After all this time, she still cares very much about Dana. She tries not to think about it too much, because she knows that if she does, she’ll run away. Having an ocean between them helps, and it also helps that Stella has always been the initiator. 

When they are intertwined, Stella decides to say what she’s known, what they’ve both known, for years, “You love him.”

Dana simply hides her face in Stella’s neck. She doesn’t want to talk about it, not really, especially not now. Not when there’s so much trying to tear them apart. 

Stella decides to lighten the mood, “And you’re still not fucking him?” All Scully can do is laugh. 

After that, Stella doesn’t call as much. Or at all, really. She decided to pull back and let Scully have her chance with Mulder. Stella knows that even though they never put a label on what they were, Scully doesn’t need to have her as a distraction anymore. That doesn’t stop Stella from thinking of Dana, often. She wonders how she is, wonders what is happening in her life. She wants to call her, but she can't bring herself to do it anymore. She doesn’t even know if Dana actually has her information at all, so Stella doesn’t get a call from her. 

Until one day, almost two years later. Dana only needs to say two words before Stella is booking her plane ticket. 

‘I’m pregnant.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that took a turn didn't it? 
> 
> Thank you for your sweet comments and kudos! And thank you to my sweet beta for reading this even though she loves msr.
> 
> Let me know what you think! stellastellaforstar.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

Stella knew she had to go to Dana because she didn’t have anyone else, not anymore. And Stella knew this because she didn’t have anyone else, either. So she packed her bag, called into the Met, and took the next flight out. She never gave a thought as to why she was doing all of this until the plane took off. She hadn’t seen Dana in almost two years, and she’s pregnant with Mulder’s child, what on earth kind of place does Stella have in her life?

By the time Stella arrives in DC, Scully has already been released from the hospital. Stella has to call her again to get the address for her apartment. It’s odd, considering they have met each other so many times in this city before, that Stella has never been to her home. It makes sense in some way, Stella always kept herself detached. From everything. 

Stella could barely knock on the front door before it opens and Scully flings herself around her. The hug was so long that Stella had the time to register what was happening, drop her things, and wrap her arms around Dana’s waist. She’s ushered inside before either of them have said a word to each other, and before Stella knows it they’re drinking tea at Dana’s dining room table. The whole interaction is so different from every previous one that Stella doesn’t know what to do with herself. 

“Thank you for being here.” Scully finally says, “It means a lot.”

“Of course, Dana.” They fall back into a comfortable silence. It is only when Scully begins to prepare for bed that Stella realizes she has no idea what to do. Should she go to a hotel? Should she sleep on the couch, or in Dana’s bed? No, this isn’t about her, it is about Dana and her unborn child, and she would do anything for Dana. Stella knows this now though she might be hesitant to admit it.

“Dana, where would you like me to sleep?”

“Oh I just figured you would sleep in the bed with me, like always.” The blush growing up her cheeks the entire time she was speaking.

“Of course, Dana. Whatever you need.” Stella left to bring her things into the bedroom and put on her pajamas. Another odd thought came to Stella that caused her to chuckle.

“What’s so funny?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever slept in the bed with you when we were both fully clothed.” 

They were both chuckling as they got in the bed together. But once they got settled, Stella tensed. She didn’t know what was the acceptable thing to do and she wanted to be here for Dana. Stella figured that, since they did all their best talking in bed, she could talk openly with Dana now.

“What do you need me to do?”

Scully was silent for a long time. She didn’t immediately have an answer for Stella, not a long-term one, anyway. When she found out she was pregnant, Stella was the first person she thought of to tell. It took some time to find her contact information and Scully didn’t really know what Stella’s reaction would be, but she was pleased that she decided to come. 

“Can you hold me?” she says in almost a whisper.

“Of course, Dana.” 

“You’ve been saying that a lot tonight.” Scully says, almost giggling. She hasn’t been this content in a long time. Having Stella hold her for the first time in almost two years makes her realize how much she has missed her. 

“I’m here for whatever you need me for.”

“I just want you to be yourself. Please. Thank you for being here.”

“You’ve been saying that a lot tonight, too.” And with that they both drifted off to sleep, content in each others arms.

~~~

She’s been here for weeks. And she isn’t exactly sure what she’s still doing here either. She knows she came to be here for Dana but they haven’t discussed anything. All Dana ever asks of her is to hold her. There will be touches here and there, or a glance that lasts a little too long; but she’s just imagining it, right? Dana is carrying Mulder’s child, for god's sake. 

They talk about everything and nothing all at once. Scully tells her about her day at work and the cases she’s working on, Stella talks of what she ate for lunch since she isn’t doing much of anything while Dana is gone. Scully knows it’s selfish of her to keep Stella hidden away in her apartment all to herself, but she just can’t seem to let her go. Scully knows she should tell Stella what’s really going on but she’s terrified. She wants to tell Stella everything but doesn’t know how she’ll react. She hasn’t seen Stella in two years, she has no idea what her life is like back home. She knows Stella is very committed to her job but what is she like back in London? Who are her friends? What is her flat like? Does she even have a flat? Scully decides she's going to finally tell Stella tonight when they’re in bed together. It’ll be easier in the dark like it always has been. 

“Stella, are you awake?” 

“Mm, yes, love. What do you need?”

“The baby, it’s not Mulder’s. I mean it is, but…”

Stella has already moved out of their embrace. Damn, it would’ve been so much easier doing this without having to face her. 

“Dana what do you mean?” It’s not accusatory. Scully can tell Stella is genuinely confused. 

“We never, I mean... I got pregnant from IVF and Mulder was the donor. I have always wanted to have a child and he was the first person that came to mind.” 

“But you love him.” 

Scully could cry. Did she really have no idea after all this time? Well of course she didn’t. Scully was never very upfront with her emotions. 

She takes a deep breath before she begins. “We tried it, about a year ago. It didn’t work, he’s too committed to his quest and I, well…” 

“Dana what is it?” Stella reaches over and grabs her hand. 

“I realized that I was in love with someone else.” She can’t even chance a look at Stella’s face. 

Stella’s hand goes stiff on top of hers, and it feels like the silence will never end. Finally Stella speaks, “You love me?”

“Yes, Stella I do. I guess it took not hearing from you for so long to realize it. Why did you stop calling?” Scully finally chances a look at Stella, as beautiful as ever. 

Now Stella is the one who looks nervous. She is looking down at her hands and begins to stammer “I, I couldn’t…”

“You couldn’t?” 

“I couldn’t let myself have you.” 

Their lips are on each other in an instant. 

~~~

Not long after that, Stella receives the call they both knew was coming eventually. By the time Scully comes home from work, Stella’s things are already packed. 

“You’re leaving.” It’s not a question. 

“I’ve been called back to the Met. There’s a case they need me to review.” Stella doesn’t even try to hide her disappointment. If this were anyone else she would remain stoic, but Dana isn’t anyone else. She never was. 

The words are out of her mouth before she can stop herself, “Come with me.” 

“Stella, I want to but I have to find Mulder.” Dana says, stifling a sob. 

“I understand. But just know that you and your child are always welcome.” Stella brings Dana into an embrace that feels like it last for hours and seconds all at once. 

“Thank you for being here.”

“Of course, Dana.” And with that, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys this is my longest chapter yet! Thank you again to my amazing beta who really loves msr, sorry and thank you. I hope you guys like it let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

When Scully finally finds Mulder, it isn’t how she wanted to find him at all. She calls Stella before the funeral but tells her not to come. They call each other a lot now. They talk about everything, from Scully’s pregnancy struggles to Stella’s cases. They talk about how much they miss each other, and Scully ends each call saying that she loves Stella. Telling Stella that she loves her is one of the most natural things Scully has ever had to do, but then again, everything is natural when it comes to Stella. She hasn’t said it back yet. Scully hasn’t expected her to, honestly. She knows that Stella will say it when she’s ready, at least she hopes she will. 

And when Mulder comes back miraculously, she again tells Stella not to come. It’s not that she doesn’t want to see her; she doesn't want to inconvenience her. Scully knows that she loves Stella more than anything, but she still doesn’t want to lean on her too much. Stella again invites her to London, but Scully is far too along in her pregnancy to travel. And when there is all of the confusion and conspiracy surrounding William, she doesn’t have the time to call Stella before everything happens. After everything has settled, she decides to give Stella a call and have the conversation she has been anxiously waiting to have since Stella walked away from her apartment months ago.

“Stella, I think I’m going to take you up on that offer.”

“And which offer might that be?” Stella says as she tries to recall the many offers she’s given to Dana over the last few months, although their phone calls have become almost a reincarnation of their nightly talks when they used to be intertwined with one another. They are much more flirtatious now than they were previously, and have become each other's most trusted confidantes. Of course, Stella has offered to let Scully stay with her in London, many times. She's trying not to get her hopes up that it is that particular offer she is finally accepting.

“I’ve booked tickets to fly to London for the end of the year if that’s alright with you.”

Stella answers almost immediately, “Of course, Dana. I would love to have you.”

Scully could almost feel the joy radiating off of Stella even through the phone, “And it’s alright if I bring my son? I would love for you to finally meet him.”

“Yes, yes, Dana. I will mark everything on my calendar in order to prepare for your arrival.” 

With that, the line disconnected. 

~~~

She’s been pacing around her flat for what feels like hours now. Dana’s plane only landed minutes ago, but Stella has been ready for her arrival for a long time. They haven’t talked much since Scully told Stella she was coming, and it was only when Stella started to prepare for them that she realized Dana never said how long they were staying. 

A knock on her door snaps her out of her thoughts. Stella realizes that she actually had been pacing with her thoughts for an hour. She walks as quickly to the door as Stella Gibson can without losing her cool facade. 

Stella had planned to welcome Dana and her child into her apartment with a smile and a tour, but when she finally saw her it wasn’t like that at all. Stella had opened the door to a struggling Scully trying to get her bag up to the door while keeping her child at bay in her arms. It didn’t take long for Stella to realize that this is what Dana was always meant for: a child, happiness. When their eyes locked, it was like everything else faded away. It was only Stella, Dana, and a wiggling boy left in the world. They eventually snapped out of it, but both knew that that look is not a common thing found in the world, that what they have is different from anything else either of them has experienced before. 

They begin to bring her things into the flat without saying a word to each other. Stella helps Dana into her bedroom and put her bags on a chaise. Stella realizes that Dana has brought quite a lot of bags but she also knows that she isn’t traveling by herself anymore. Stella finally chances a look at the child. He’s adorable and she can already tell that he takes after Dana. Scully catches Stella looking and walks over to let her get a closer look. 

“Stella, this is William.” 

“He is so beautiful Dana. Why did you decide to name him William?”

“Well, I wanted to name him after Mulder while avoiding Fox because I just couldn’t do that to someone else.” 

They share a chuckle but Stella can’t help but stare at the boy. Suddenly, he reaches out to her much to the surprise of both women. Scully was concerned about how William and Stella would be around each other but he’s taken to her instantly; she can’t help but feel that every piece is coming into place and she couldn’t be happier. 

~~~

Stella never asked when their returning flight was as if speaking it out into the world would break a spell. It wasn’t until she saw circled job listings when she realized Dana had no plans on returning to the states at all. In all honesty, Stella couldn’t be happier. Her bond with William had only grown stronger since that first day, and things with Dana were almost turning into domestic bliss. By the time Dana and William returned home that evening from their outing, Stella’s office now houses a white crib.

They had fallen into a routine of feedings and work schedules—to the point where Stella was comfortable enough to take care of William by herself. It wasn’t that she lacked the ability to take care of a child, in reality, she rather enjoys children. They were much more open about their needs than adults were and if Stella appreciated anything it was honesty.

It all leads to one afternoon when Scully has an interview for a teaching position and Stella was with William. She was working in the living room when she started to hear him fuss through the monitor. She was hoping to get a bit more work done before he woke up from his nap, so she figured she could ease him back to sleep. 

“There, there, Will. I’m right here.” She says as she picks him up from his crib. She begins to rock him, but she can tell he needs to be fed. 

“Oh it’s all right, I know you’re hungry but your Mama will be back soon enough.” Stella’s voice seems to soothe him some so she continues talking. “It feels odd to call her ‘Mama,’ but she has been trying to get you to say it so much that she refers to herself as nothing else. Well, if she’s going to be Mama what shall you call me, hmm? Mum perhaps? Yes, I like that very much; do you, William?” Stella could have never imagined herself at this moment, talking to Dana’s child as if he was her own, but she finds that it’s actually quite natural to her. 

“You must love your Mama very much, and did you know William, that I love her very much too? I know I still haven’t told her that but I do.” She notices through her rambling she was actually able to lull him back to sleep. As she sets him back down in his crib she kisses his forehead and whispers, “I love you very much too, William.” 

After making her quiet retreat back into the living room, Stella turns around to see Dana sitting on the couch with tears streaming down her face. Before Stella has a chance to ask what’s wrong, she looks over and sees the baby monitor still turned on and she blanches. She doesn’t know how much Scully has heard but she fears she has been too presumptuous. Stella is too scared to break the silence so she stands there paralyzed until Dana looks up at her with those beautiful, blue eyes. 

“You love me.” It’s a statement, not a question like it was when Stella uttered the same words. Stella can see the love begin to radiate through Dana and her own relief floods her enough to finally say what she’s been wanting to say for a long time. 

“I love you, Dana.” 

“Stella, I love you too. So much.” 

This time, when they come together it’s different than before. The connection between them had always been strong, but this was… transcendent. As they glide their hands across each other’s bodies Stella realizes that this must be what making love is. It isn’t sex like she’s accustomed to it’s so much better. 

Finally, after everything, they were together and happy. Truly happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be a short epilogue to follow in a couple days. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate all of you for reading and comments and kudos. Special thank you to my friend A for reading and a very special thank you to Sarah for editing my fic and generally being an angel. 
> 
> I miss these two already so I'm definitely willing to write some more of this couple in this universe or the next. Send me prompts if you want. all the love. stellastellaforstar.tumblr.com


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stella meets Mulder.

When she meets him, when she finally meets him, it’s in a bar. Because where else would it fucking be. Stella, Dana, and William were sitting in the pub waiting for Fox Mulder to arrive. 

William is two now and couldn’t wait to meet his ‘Uncle Mul-dah.’ Try as hard as she might, Scully couldn’t stop the British accent that was slowly starting to infiltrate William’s speech. Mulder had called and said he was in town for a case and wanted to see them. Of course, Scully agreed, missing her old partner as much as he was missing her. 

He walks in and spots them immediately. He gives Scully a warm hug and greets Stella with a loving handshake. Even though he hates Scully being so far away he has to admit he has never seen her happier. 

They enjoy the meal with light conversation and William’s adorable interjections. After hearing so much about Mulder over the past decade Stella is grateful to finally put a name to the stories. Although Stella thinks that Will looks undeniably like his mother, she can see some of Mulder in him as well. After they finish, they invite him over for drinks since Will would be going down for his nap soon. 

Mulder sees the great care that both of them rose with William and he is so happy he was able to contribute just a little bit to Scully’s happiness. Though he thinks most of it has to do with Stella.

~~~ 

After spending the afternoon and evening together, Mulder bids them both goodbye with a tight hug and words of affection (even if Stella was a bit taken back by it.) 

Once the two women lay in bed together that night they begin to talk about the day. It’s funny that after all these years the bed still holds the title of a haven for them. As if the pillows make them more forthcoming. They hold each other close and discuss how grateful they both were to have this life with the other. Neither one of them had ever imagined that a one night stand in a bar would lead to this, but neither was complaining about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it! I had a great time writing it (apparently trying to cover every trope possible)
> 
> stellastellaforstar.tumblr.com


End file.
